September 2007 Archive
Beautiful Old Age (09/30/07 - 4 Comments)
Just a few days ago I found out that a dear old friend died last week. Though we had not spoken to him for several years, he is a man who, along with his wife, left a deep impression on Aileen and me. When we were young and newly married we held up this man and his wife as the example of elderly godliness; we did aspire and still do aspire to be like them...
Book Review - For Us and for Our Salvation (09/29/07 - 0 Comments)
Stephen Nichols is quite the prolific author. A professor at Lancaster Bible College and Graduate School and a graduate of Westminster Theological Seminary, Nichols has written several notable books in the past few years and it seems that he always has at least one title on the "Coming Soon" lists at Crossway or P&R Publishing. Nichols has a gift for presenting church history in a way that is interesting and in a way that appeals...
Jerry Bridges Preaches the Gospel to Himself (09/28/07 - 8 Comments)
In his new book Respectable Sins, Jerry Bridges writes about the important discipline of preaching the gospel to yourself every day. Realizing that many people have heard of this discipline but do not know how to practice it, he provides an overview of how he does so. I found it helpful and trust you will too. What could be more important than beginning each day with a fresh understanding of the great work of the...
Reading Classics Together - Holiness (The Fight) (09/27/07 - 12 Comments)
"Fight the good fight of faith." Today those of us who are engaged in this project to read some great Christian classics together are going to be looking at the fourth chapter of J.C. Ryle’s Holiness. You can read more about this effort here: Reading the Classics Together. Even if you are not participating, please keep reading. I’m sure there will be something here to benefit you. We are at the half-way point of this...
"Everything Must Change" by Brian McLaren (09/26/07 - 90 Comments)
Jesus, Global Crises, and a Revolution of Emasculated Theology... Those of us who have been keeping a wary eye on the Emerging Church know that to understand the movement we must understand Brian McLaren. Though it is not quite fair to label him the movement's leader, he certainly functions as its elder statesman and his writing seems to serve as a guide or compass for the movement. Where he leads, others follow. It is with...
New From HarperOne (09/25/07 - 0 Comments)
A couple of new titles from HarperOne showed up here last night. Both look excellent. As a reader and reviewer who focuses on Christian books, it's easy to keep an eye on the Christian publishers and neglect to watch the mainstream ones. But Harper sometimes publishes notable volumes that I wouldn't want to miss. The first is A City Upon a Hill: How Sermons Changed the Course of American History by Larry Witham. Here is...
5 Years Young (09/25/07 - 24 Comments)
This blog passes a milestone... Today marks the fifth anniversary of the day I began this web site. In September of 2002, the first month this site was in operation--just a little blog dedicated to sharing pictures of my children with family members who had moved far away--it had two visitors, my mother and my wife. And I thought that was just fine. Just five years later, in September of 2007, the pictures of my...
My Book Is Now Available for Pre-Order! (09/24/07 - 27 Comments)
Tim Begs Shamelessly... As of this very moment, The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment (written by yours truly and with a Foreword by John MacArthur) is available for pre-sale through this site. As a bonus I'll be signing all copies purchased in advance. This is the only place you'll be able to order a signed copy. The book will become available near the end of December and will be shipped to you as soon as I...
Reading Better with Richard Baxter (09/23/07 - 5 Comments)
A few days ago I provided some suggestions for reading more and reading better. I recently dug up this valuable advice from the Puritan Richard Baxter. Centuries ago he wrote some advice on reading that seems as appropriate for us to learn from today as it was for the men and women of the seventeenth century. Perhaps the advice is even more important today as we have access to far more books and writing than...
Heaven is Real by Don Piper (09/22/07 - 7 Comments)
Lessons on Earth Joy--From the Man who Spent 90 Minutes in Heaven Don Piper was relatively unknown for even a couple of years after writing 90 Minutes in Heaven. But something must have happened, because now it seems that the longer his book sits on the shelves, the more it picks up steam. It has now sold well over a million copies and shows few signs of abating anytime soon. It is still sitting at...
A Taste of Heaven by R.C. Sproul (09/21/07 - 4 Comments)
Worship in the Light of Eternity Any time I set out to write a review of a book by R.C. Sproul I feel compelled to begin by lauding his accomplishments. But surely I can dispense with that formality this time. I am confident most of my readers know of Sproul and have benefited from his ministry and from his almost unparalleled teaching ability. We talk these days about a Reformed revival and about "Young, Restless,...
Blogspotting (09/21/07 - 1 Comments)
Blogging is an interactive affair. Not only does it invite comments from readers but it also invites discussion on other blogs. An article posted at one site can generate discussion at many others. It's a unique and valuable benefit of blogging! I used to expend a bit of effort in drawing the attention of my readers to places where discussion that began here has continued elsewhere but, for some reason (which is probably simple complacency)...
Reading Classics Together - Holiness (Holiness) (09/20/07 - 10 Comments)
As you know, I am, along with a group of readers, attempting to work my way through some great Christian classics. Today we have arrived at the third chapter of J.C. Ryle’s Holiness. You can read more about this effort here: Reading the Classics Together. Even if you are not participating, please keep reading. I’m sure there will be something here to benefit you. Four weeks ago we began our eight-week study of this book...
Is Scripture Study Required of Christians? (09/19/07 - 22 Comments)
Yesterday I received a question from a reader of this site. The question was simple: "Is Scripture study required of Christians? Is it actually discussed in the Bible?" As I wrote an answer I felt that it might be valuable to think it through carefully and even to share the answer. I'll be the first to admit that my knowledge of Scripture is far less than encyclopedic. However, I am quite sure that if you...
The Gospel: Conventional vs. Emerging (09/18/07 - 70 Comments)
Brian McLaren shares two gospels, one new and one old. Those of us who have been keeping a wary eye on the Emerging Church know that to understand the movement we need to understand Brian McLaren. Though it is not quite fair to label him the movement's leader, he certainly functions as its elder statesman and his writing seems to serve as a barometer for the movement. But anyone who has read his books will...
Book Review Updates (09/18/07 - 1 Comments)
It's Tuesday today, and that means we have a new lot of reviews for you to read over at Discerning Reader. We've also got a fascinating interview with one of the authors whose work we have reviewed today. So read on! To start, I've added a short review of Iain Murray's The Life of John Murray. It is not an exhaustive biography of the great Westminster theologian, but it is a good one and is...
10 Tips to Read More and Read Better (09/17/07 - 17 Comments)
The subject of reading has been much on my mind lately. I love to read but often receive emails from people who struggle to read and struggle to enjoy reading. Thus I thought it might be beneficial to piece together a list of tips to read more and to read better. I hope you find it useful. Read - We start with the obvious: you need to read. Find me someone who has changed the...
The Most Perfect Human Compendium of Christian Truth (09/16/07 - 17 Comments)
Yesterday I finished Iain Murray's biography of theologian John Murray (there is no relation between the two Murrays) and was struck by John Murray's insistence on the importance of memorizing the catechisms. I was raised on a steady diet of the Heidelberg Catechism at church and the Shorter Catechism at home and can attest to their value. Murray, being a product of Scottish Presbyterianism, was an ardent supporter of the Shorter Catechism and once said...
Biblical Teaching on the Doctrines of Heaven and Hell (09/15/07 - 5 Comments)
Some books receive titles that are a little bit mysterious, only hinting at what the book contains. There are others that just give it all away in the title. Biblical Teaching on the Doctrines of Heaven and Hell pretty well says it all. Edward Donnelly simply turns to Scripture to see what God says about these important doctrines of heaven and hell. Heaven is a popular subject at the moment. Randy Alcorn’s book Heaven has...
Spoilt for Choice (09/14/07 - 28 Comments)
How endless choice is making us endlessly miserable. A few weeks ago my cell phone went missing. For a few days we looked for it passively, keeping half an eye out for it as we went about our business in the house. It didn't show up. So for one morning we tore the house apart, looking high and low. We couldn't find it anywhere. All we knew was that it was last seen in the...
I Love a Good Inventory Reduction Sale! (09/13/07 - 8 Comments)
At some point I need to write an article about how to build a library on the cheap. When I do it will mention inventory reduction sales. Speaking of which... Westminster Books is holding just such a sale right now. Since, like several good, Reformed online retailers they don't really stock any bad books, everything listed there is good. But I noticed at least one that really stands out. Not too long ago I reviewed...
Reading Classics Together - Holiness (Sanctification) (09/13/07 - 16 Comments)
"We must be saints before we die, if we are to be saints afterwards in glory." Today those of us who are engaged in this project to read some great Christian classics together are going to be looking at the second chapter of J.C. Ryle’s Holiness. You can read more about this effort here: Reading the Classics Together. Even if you are not participating, please keep reading. I'm sure there will be something here to...
Christians and Social Media (09/12/07 - 32 Comments)
Making an impact on the world of social media. On Saturday I had 11,000 unexpected guests drop by. One of my stories got picked up by Reddit and StumbleUpon, two of the big social media sites, and it ended up on the front page of both sites concurrently. This caused about 11,000 people to drop by my blog in a matter of hours (on a Saturday, no less, when traffic to these sites is probably...
Everyday Talk (09/11/07 - 3 Comments)
Talking Freely and Naturally about God with Your Children In recent weeks I have been attempting to make my way through some of the Shepherd Press catalog of books. Many of the titles and some of the authors were unfamiliar to me. Yet it seems that every time I read one of these titles I unearth some new treasure. Books like Polishing God's Monuments and When Sinners Say "I Do" have blessed me greatly, have...
Being Cast as Predators (09/10/07 - 45 Comments)
Avoiding Kids: How Men Cope With Being Cast as Predators Ted Wallis, a doctor in Austin, Texas, recently came upon a lost child in tears in a mall. His first instinct was to help, but he feared people might consider him a predator. He walked away. 'Being male,' he explains, 'I am guilty until proven innocent.'" As awful as it sounds, I sympathize with this guy. As terrible as it might be to see a...
Atheistic Atonement (09/09/07 - 17 Comments)
Christopher Hitchens weighs in on the atonement and John Calvin. I just finished reading Christopher Hitchens' atheistic screed God is not Great. Demanding the end of all religion and proclaiming that belief in God is harmful to individuals and to society, Hitchens attempts, at least in portions of the book, to mock and even to deconstruct Christian theology. I found his remarks on the atonement to be of particular interest, primarily because the atonement is...
"What is a Healthy Church?" by Mark Dever (09/08/07 - 7 Comments)
Mark Dever takes the 9 Marks from the pulpit to the pews. I spoke to Mark Dever just about a year ago and asked him if there were any books in his future. At that time he mentioned that he'd soon have a book out dealing with personal evangelism but that he had nothing planned after that. It seems that his plans changed! The book on evangelism is due for release in just a few...
Bludgeoning with Providence (09/07/07 - 30 Comments)
Misusing the will of God. I dedicate this post to you, the person reading it. Before you were even born, God planned this very moment, the moment you would type the address of this site into your browser or the moment you would click a link from another site to arrive right here, right now. It is no accident that you are here today and you can be certain that God has orchestrated all of...
Reading Classics Together - Holiness (Sin) (09/06/07 - 28 Comments)
"Mighty indeed must that foe be who even when crucified is still alive!" Today those of us who have embarked on a project to read some Christian classics together are going to be looking at the first chapter of J.C. Ryle's Holiness. You can read more about this effort here: Reading the Classics Together. Last week we began our eight-week study of this book by looking at the Introduction to the book. This week we...
How to Organize a Personal Library (09/05/07 - 31 Comments)
Suggestions on organizing and cataloging a personal library. I am developing what I suspect will soon be an extensive personal library. Though it is currently not all that large, as these things go, it is growing at an alarming rate. When we moved into our current house just over one year ago, I had, to the best of my recollection, four bookcases in my office which left me lots of wall space to hang prints...
The Great September Giveaway (09/04/07 - 20 Comments)
Long-time readers of this site will likely remember the series of giveaways I did about two years ago. Every month or so I would give away something good--usually a couple of books or DVDs or something along those lines. Well, the giveaways are back and they are better than ever! This month I'm going to be giving away the biggest and best prize yet (though to be honest, the second and third place prizes aren't...
Book Review - The Preacher and the Presidents (09/04/07 - 8 Comments)
Billy Graham in the White House I'll be honest with you--I don't have the emotional attachment to Billy Graham I sometimes feel I'm supposed to have as a Christian and as a Baptist. I grew up in a tradition that rarely acknowledged him (or much of the outside evangelical world, for that matter) and, to be honest, I knew very little of him until relatively recently. In my younger days I knew him more for...
The Gift of Spiritual Discernment (Part 3) (09/03/07 - 2 Comments)
What do I do with the gift of discernment? What if I want it? What if I don't have it? This is the third and final entry in this brief series dealing with the gift of spiritual discernment. The first part is available here: The Gift of Spiritual Discernment. In this first article we looked at the question of “What is the gift of discernment?” and concluded that “Men and women with the gift of...
KfaW - Provocations & Pantings (09/02/07 - 3 Comments)
King for a Week is an honor I bestow on blogs that I feel are making a valuable contribution to my faith and the faith of other believers…or sometimes just because I really like them. It is a way of introducing my readers to blogs that they may also find interesting and edifying. Every two weeks (or so. That is theoretical. Practically, I don't get around to updating as often as I should!) I select...
Tony Dungy - Quiet Strength (09/01/07 - 4 Comments)
The quiet strength and outspoken faith of Tony Dungy. Those who know the National Football League will know of Tony Dungy, the coach of the Indianapolis Colts. One of the league's premier and most respected coaches, Dungy is a Christian and one who is outspoken about his faith. Two events in the past two years have put him in the spotlight: the death of his son in 2006 and the Colts' Superbowl victory in 2007....
